Displaced people's rations slashed

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 01 July 1998, 23:59 GMT]Dry rations for a third of the displaced families in the Trincomalee District is to cut from today, said sources in Trincomalee.

The Commissioner General of Essential Services (CGES) has informed S. K. D. Chandradasa, Government Agent (GA), Trincomalee, in a letter dated June 25, that of the 6,381 displaced families in the Trincomalee District receiving dry rations as part of their relief programme, only 4018 will be provided dry rations in the future.

However, the criteria to select the families which will qualify for continued assistance has not been mentioned in the letter CGES's letter, said Mr. Chandradasa.

The GA told the assembled divisional secretaries that families which were not living in refugee camps as well as those families which had at least one member working, should be among the 2,362 families whose names will be struck off the list.

The move to limit the number of families receiving dry rations is a result of dwindling funds for relief of displaced persons, said sources.